(Edited 04/09/24)

I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.

Life And Death Bear Consequences

***POTD***

Natsu slowly felt himself beginning to return to full consciousness, his mindscape having suddenly and unexpectedly collapsed whilst he was talking to Igneel. The first thing he felt was a killer headache, and a strange pain in his chest.

Bringing a hand to his forehead, Natsu breathed in and out slowly, cracking his eyes open slightly, as he rose into a sitting position. Once he was up however, that was when he felt his fatigue drain away.

"What the…?"

Looking around where he'd been lying unconscious, Natsu was shocked to find himself amidst a sea of flowers. Looking up in the sky, all he could see were thousands of planets amidst a dark blue and lilac colored sky, seemingly orbiting wherever he was.

"What the Hell happened to us Igneel," Natsu groaned, rubbing his head as he waited for a response. "Igneel?"

Reality set in as he quickly realized he couldn't even sense Igneel within his body. Eyes wide, Natsu shakily got to his feet, eyes darting around as he tried to process what was going on.

Eventually, Natsu noticed a single wooden house situated somewhere close to the centre of the strange field he was in. Taking several steps toward it, he paused, wondering if it was a good idea to approach.

"Well…I don't really have any other options," he sighed, shaking his head. "Seems there's nothing else in this place? Wherever this actually is?"

Making his way toward the house, Natsu peered inside one of the front windows, finding it seemingly vacant. He was under no delusion that it was truly vacant, however, since it was far too suspiciously placed in this strange area for someone to not be living there.

Walking up to the front door, Natsu slowly opened it and peered inside, still finding no one. Shrugging, he quietly entered and turned to gently close the door. But upon turning back around, he nearly jumped out of his skin to find a man and a woman seated in the living room, drinking tea as if they'd been there the entire time.

"Don't mind us, do come and have a seat," the man in the white suit smirked, running a hand through his silky smooth, white colored hair. "We were just talking about you!"

"Enough Brother! Can't you see he's already confused as it is," the woman in the lavish gothic dress sighed, flicking a strand of her black hair over her shoulder. "Please take a seat Natsu, and we'll explain everything."

"Wait…I remember you! You were that girl I met in Crocus who said she was traveling with her Brother!"

"That's correct," the woman smiled lightly. "It isn't often I get to take strolls, so I quite enjoyed it."

"Why am I not surprised," the man sighed, shaking his head. "To put it bluntly Natsu, we've been watching you…"

"For quite some time," the woman added quickly, as if that was meant to be reassuring. "There's no need to be worried though, we aren't interested in causing you or your loved ones any harm."

"…Right," Natsu replied skeptically.

"Tea," the man asked, offering him some, along with biscuits, which Natsu hesitantly took. "Excellent."

"This meeting has been a long time coming," the woman explained, as Natsu slowly ate one of the biscuits. "We've been eagerly anticipating your arrival for the last…?"

"Seven hundred and ninety-three years, give or take a year," the Brother chimed in.

"Yes! Point is, we've been waiting for you!"

"Why? What's so special about me… Actually, who even are you two!?"

"Well, I think you already know a fair bit about why you're so special," the Brother chuckled, as Natsu looked down at his hands, knowing they were referring to his Demonic side.

"But thanks to recent events, you now stand on the precipice of true greatness, Natsu," the woman continued, drawing Natsu's attention back toward the pair. "But as for who we are, I suppose introductions are in order…

One Of The Eternal Concepts Of True Existence

The Lady In Black

The Source Of The End

The Primordial Lady Death

"D-D-Death," Natsu croaked, eliciting an amused giggle from the Primordial seated across from him. "Y-You're not just a Death God, but THE Death!?"

"That's correct, yes."

"Then that must mean your Brother is-!?"

"Indeed," the man smiled, giving Natsu a slight bow despite being seated, as Natsu's entire perspective on the current situation flipped dramatically.

One Of The Eternal Concepts Of True Existence

The Lord In White

The Source Of The Beginning

The Primordial Lord Life

"I'm sitting in the same room with Life and Death itself, drinking tea…"

"A rather intriguing thought, isn't it," Lord Life mused, as he sipped on his tea. "Care to take a guess as to why you've been brought here?"

"Is it because of what I did to the Fire Titan?"

"No. The Fire Titan is but one tiny, near inconsequential factor of why you're here," Lord Life explained, as Lady Death took over.

"To put it simply, you're dying," the Primordial Death explained bluntly, shocking Natsu to the core.

"What!? How the Hell is that even possible!? I mean sure, I took a bit of damage against the Fire Titan and used a lot of Magic-!?"

"Calm yourself Natsu, all will be explained in due course," Lord Life cut in, attempting to ease his rather justifiable concerns. "Whilst you are here with us, your form is sitting in a Limbo-like state."

"Okay… I assume you both have a reason to do that?"

"Indeed we do," Lady Death agreed with a stiff nod. "To understand it though, we need to summarize what happened after you fell unconscious."

"Yeah, I won't lie, I'd like to know how the Hell I went from being tired, to dying!?"

"Well, you see, once Eliza brought you back to Terminus, Xicor, Eliza and Seilah decided to insert the purified form of Dragon Cry into your heart. What Xicor had planned to do was make you similar to Zeref, so he infused a substantial amount of God's Aura into the staff before they inserted it into your body."

"Wait… What?"

"Their plan was to make you a Hybrid, Natsu," Lord Life explained calmly. "A being capable of wielding both the power of a God, and the power of a Devil, in perfect balance. They believed your form would be able to acclimatize to the God's Aura, and you would eventually adapt and be able to wield both…"

"But the truth is, they haven't got a clue as to why Zeref can wield the Hybrid's Aura, so their plan was doomed to fail from the start."

"…Holy shit," Natsu murmured, shaking his head as he processed what the two Primordial beings had just told him. "Wait, you just said that they don't have a clue as to why Zeref can wield the Hybrid's Aura? Does that mean none of the Gods or Devils, or just Xicor and Eliza?"

"I'd wager none of the more modern Gods or Devils would know the truth," Lord Life admitted freely. "Only those from back during the first war between God and Devil would remember, and there aren't a lot of them still around."

"So, I take it you both know the truth, and are going to tell me, right?"

"The First True Hybrid's tale is something you'll find out for yourself," Lord Life replied, shaking his head. "What matters right now, is that we explain why you are here."

"To put it simply, any living being who is to become a Hybrid, must face my Brother and I first," Lady Death explained, shocking Natsu, as he put two and two together.

"You two brought Zeref here, didn't you?"

"Indeed we did. Your Brother once sat before us almost eight centuries ago, and pleaded his case as to why he should be allowed to return to Earthland and wield the power of the Hybrid."

"We had assumed he would be of use in defeating Achnologia," Lord Life explained, his eyes narrowed. "With Zeref not being a True Hybrid, we thought he would be more willing to do as we asked… but things went awry, as you already know."

"The thing that granted Zeref the ability to wield the Hybrid's Aura had a far greater influence upon him than we'd anticipated, and began having him go against our wishes."

"Wait, there's something that's controlling Zeref!?"

"Perhaps controlling isn't the right word for it? Coercing him to act in its interests might be more apt?"

"Either way, he's become a far cry from the young teen who once sat before us, begging for a chance to kill Achnologia and bring peace to your home Reality."

"And now I'm here, and you're wondering if its worth taking the risk in allowing me to wield the power of a Hybrid too," Natsu sighed, a look of understanding crossing his features. "I get it."

"This is why we have been following you throughout your journey Natsu," Lady Death explained. "Most of the time, we kept out of your way and chose to simply observe in the background how you handled things, what your moral code was, and what your long term goals were."

"My Sister often berates me for not getting to the point, but I'll do so here. We already find you worthy, Natsu. However, we felt it important to stress that this power comes with even greater responsibility than being a God or a Devil."

"There will be those who will view you as an abomination. There will be those among the higher realms who will seek to use your unique abilities for their own gain."

"But the benefits you'll gain far outweigh the negatives Natsu. In fact, there is a lot we don't know about Hybrids, since you'll be the Second True one in existence."

"But we won't force you to become a Hybrid," Lady Death chimed in quickly. "You can always choose to die and move on if you don't wish to deal with the chaos of your current home Reality?"

"That was worded quite…strangely?"

"Indeed it was," Lady Death smiled. "For you see, you are a higher being now Natsu, which means you technically won't die in the traditional sense. You could choose to be reincarnated, or simply be reborn as you are now in another Reality?"

"The concept of Death is a trivial matter to circumvent once you ascend beyond the mortal realm. Dying and reappearing elsewhere to continue on is a nigh unfathomable concept for the everyday mortal to conceive, yet that is the option you now have. Many Gods and Devils refer to it as their Ultimate Fail-safe, should their plans not come to fruition."

"Though there are serious flaws with the process, such as never again being allowed to set foot upon the world you died in," Lady Death chimed in seriously. "But many don't see it as a burden, but a gift, freeing them from their responsibilities-."

"Not interested," Natsu cut in bluntly, eliciting an amused smirk from Lady Death. "I still have friends and family in my Reality who would be slaughtered mercilessly by Achnologia and Zeref, should I disappear forever. Abandoning my responsibilities would doom my world, and that's not something I could ever live with."

"So, you've chosen to return and become the Second True Hybrid then," Lord Life clarified, as Natsu gave him a curt nod. "Well, I can't say we didn't see it coming…"

"For the record, we're suppressing our ability to gaze into the future."

"It makes things much more fun when we don't know what's coming," Lord Life grinned in reply.

"So how high up are you two exactly? I've heard some of the Gods and Devils say there aren't any beings higher than the two of you?"

"Well that's just blatantly untrue," Lady Death smirked, shaking her head. "We are quite high up though, seeing as we control Life and Death across all of Creation."

"We do unfortunately have to deal with the Terminus Gods, which admittedly has become a rather droll task," Lord Life added, before suddenly thinking of something. "Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could answer a few questions regarding Terminus for us before we return you to Earthland?"

"Well, I don't see why not? Though do keep in mind, I'm not a God as such, so I don't know too much…"

"Which is precisely why we want to ask you some questions," Lady Death replied firmly. "Being the first outsider to deal with them in a long time, yours is a unique perspective, is it not?"

"Well yeah, I suppose it is," Natsu agreed, as Lord Life clapped his hands.

"Excellent! My first question then! After seeing the hierarchy of the Gods of Terminus, what is your opinion on them?"

"Just to clarify, you want my honest opinion?"

"That's correct," Lord Life replied, eliciting a deep sigh from Natsu.

"Alright then. The truth is, the current Council system the Gods have in place is absolutely pathetic," Natsu replied, somewhat surprising the pair. "I mean, you literally have Gods in charge of things like Festivals and Math making decisions alongside Gods who control things like Time, War, Space, Time, Fate, Luck, Chaos, Discord, Harmony, Creation and Destruction, just to name a few! I get that everything has its place, but you'd think Gods who control the things vital to existence would overrule the ones who control who can get drunk on Fridays, right?"

"Well…I'd say that was rather blunt," Lord Life laughed weakly, though he notably didn't dispute it.

"Come now Brother, it was an honest and straightforward answer, just like you wanted," Lady Death laughed lightly. "Besides, he's not entirely wrong. We've both discussed our distaste for the system in the past, haven't we?"

"We have," Lord Life agreed. "But I'm curious Natsu, what would be your opinion on how to fix such an issue?"

"Well, if it were up to me, I'd be shrinking the Council right down to only the Gods that control vital constants that govern how every Reality works. Ones like Creation, Destruction, War, Time, Space, Peace, Fate and so on? The others should have their own Council that deliberates separately so that things actually get done."

"He's good," Lady Death purred. "But then again, the titles may be fancy, but it all boils down to politics, doesn't it?"

"I find it interesting that out of all the Gods you listed should be kept among the main Council, you included War? After all, would you not agree that War is a notion that should be given less of a say?"

"To assume such a thing is stupidity. I can't speak for other Realities, but in mine, people fight when they don't get what they want. Ever since Humans rose up, they've fought, killed and died to get what they want," Natsu explained firmly. "Written into every being is a primal urge to kill, steal and dominate when one doesn't get their own way. War is an inevitability, not even the Gods and Devils could escape it as they warred among themselves, despite supposedly being enlightened compared to mortals."

"Damn… He's really good," Lord Life replied, clearly impressed.

"You're correct Natsu, War is indeed written into all things. The God of War exists to regulate the actions of War, but it is an inevitability all beings must face, mortal or otherwise."

"So it was mandated by the highest authority who stands even above we, the Primordial," Lord Life added quietly, before shaking his head. "Bah! But this isn't something you need to worry about right now, is it!?"

"Indeed! You've given us an interesting discussion Natsu, and I'm sure you're eager to return home now rather than hear us drone on about topics you don't have a full understanding of just yet!?"

"Well, I mean, this is a pretty interesting meeting," Natsu admitted sheepishly. "Not every day you get to speak with the beings who control Life and Death itself, right?"

"I have a strong suspicion this isn't going to be the last time we meet, Natsu Dragneel," Lord Life smirked, as the two Primordial beings rose to their feet. "Just keep in mind though that we can't just do this on a whim, and if you do die at any point by regular means, you still have to go through the natural channels."

"I understand. I'll do the best I can," Natsu replied, as the pair waved their hands, and Natsu felt something shift within his body. "Uh…?"

"We've approved the merging process and fixed up your body to be in peak physical condition," Lord Life explained. "As of this moment, you're on your way to being the Second True Hybrid!"

"But there are some side effects we should warn you about," Lady Death interjected, before Natsu could say anything. "Probably the most important thing is that currently, you won't be able to use Aura, or any of your other abilities, until the merging process nears completion."

"…Are you serious?"

"Quite serious," Lady Death replied firmly. "Because your body is going through multiple changes, your Magical Core is growing to accommodate what's coming. Not only that, but the chaotic balance of God and Devil Auras are clashing within."

"To put it bluntly Natsu, you'll blow up and take out at least half the local solar system if you were to use your powers as you are right now."

"Ah… Well, I suppose that's a fair reason to not be upset then," Natsu replied awkwardly, focusing a little too much on the blowing up a solar system part.

"All that being said, we know full well Earthland is still a dangerous place," Lady Death continued. "You still have your physical strength, speed and endurance, even if it isn't backed by Aura. Therefore, I believe you should be able to make use of this…"

Flicking her wrist, an ebony wakizashi manifested into her hand, the flat of the blade covered in several runes.

"A sword?"

"We know you were trained in the art of the blade back in Scarlione, but I'm sure you aren't that rusty in their use," Lord Life chuckled, as Natsu carefully took the sheathed blade, securing it to his hip.

"I've imbued that sword with the touch of Death. Weak willed foes will be instantly killed by it, with tougher opponents having their life force drained, even upon near misses."

"We'd give you more, but we can't exactly overstep-."

"No, its okay," Natsu said quickly, raising his hands. "This is a lot more than I'd expected from either of you!"

"Well, there is one other bonus I added to the blade," Lord Life smiled, happy Natsu wasn't getting greedy. "I added a Rune of Healing into the blade since your Demonic Healing Factor is currently cut off."

"Wow… Honestly, thanks for doing all this for me you guys," Natsu replied honestly. "But can I ask why you're going so far for me?"

"Why?"

"Because we can, that's why," Lady Death smirked, as Natsu suddenly fell through a portal that opened up right where he sat. "Well now, that was fun, wasn't it?"

"Indeed it was Sister. He was certainly much more lively than the last one who came to visit…"

"Ugh! I'd almost forgotten about the purple one," Lady Death spat venomously. "As if I'd marry that Mad Titan just because he has the power to manipulate a universe!?"

"Yes, well, enough of him," Lord Life smiled, as he looked back to where Natsu had been sitting. "I think he might do better than the First True Hybrid, don't you?"

"We didn't exactly get a say in that one's birth, remember?"

"That's also true," Lord Life sighed, clapping his hands together. "Right! Now that work is out of the way, back to business!"

"Where did we put those marbles?"

"The Viracon Galaxy, wasn't it?"

"Ah yes, of course! That's the one with all the blue planets, right," Lady Death clapped happily. "I do love collecting the blue ones!"

"I feel like we forgot to tell Natsu something…"

"Ah, I'm sure if we remember it, we can tell him later!

The two Primordial entities slowly faded away, along with the entire house they had been in. Eventually, the entire island full of flowers disappeared, revealing an unfathomable space where one could observe multiple universes operating next to one another, all in perfect harmony with just the right amount of spacing between them.

The perfect home for the Lord of Life and Lady of Death.

However, the pair had forgotten to inform Natsu about one crucial detail…

He'd been unconscious for seven years.

***POTD***

'Urgh… I wonder if its possible to kill Life and Death,' Natsu inwardly groaned, stumbling down a corridor with his hand on his stomach, a loud whistling noise drowning him out as he felt like he was going to vomit.

Having everything stripped away from him, aside from his physical attributes, one of Natsu's mortal enemies finally had the opportunity to rear its ugly head after so long. His most prized technique, a skill honed through countless hours of training and discipline…locked away and out of reach…

"Curse you stomach," Natsu gasped, stumbling into an empty compartment on the train he'd found himself on. "I'll…have my revenge!"

Attempting to flop onto the seat in the hopes of staving off his stomach's urge to paint the walls, Natsu missed terribly, smacking his head on the windowsill, eliciting a pained grunt in response.

"Fuck it… I'll just… stay here… until it's over…"

And so, Natsu did, as he rode the train for what felt like years. In actuality, he'd only been on the train for a total of eight hours since it had departed. Yet not once had it stopped, making him cry inside.

As he lay there, beginning to reconsider if he should have chosen the death option over his current Hell, the door to the compartment slid open, the sound of soft footsteps hitting his sensitive ears, followed by a gentle, feminine voice.

"Excuse me? You wouldn't happen to be using any of these chairs, would you Sir?"

"No I'm-Urgh… Feel free to…to knock me out," Natsu groaned in reply, the woman accepting his answer as she sat down.

"So… Why exactly are you lying on the floor? Are you drunk or something?"

"Motion sickness… Want to die… Urgh…"

"You must get motion sickness pretty bad if you're like that? You know, you remind me of this friend I have," the woman replied thoughtfully. "He used to always get motion sick back when we were younger. Though he always told us that Dragon Slayers just suffer worse than regular people-."

"D-Dragon Slayer," Natsu asked shakily, now on full alert as he struggled to stay as coherent as possible. "What was…your friends…name?"

"His name is Gajeel Redfox, sometimes known as Blacksteel Gajeel," the woman replied, seemingly more than happy to answer his question, shocking Natsu who remained fully face down.

'Great. I'm fucking immobile, and a former member of Phantom Lord is literally sitting right next to me! She could kill me at any moment if she wanted to-!"

"You know," the woman hummed, cutting through Natsu's panicked thoughts. "You do look kind of familiar with that particular hair color? It reminds me of another Dragon Slayer I know, though he's been gone a long time… I do miss him quite a bit if I'm being honest."

This completely threw Natsu for a loop. The woman knew Gajeel, but knew of another Dragon Slayer too?

"Who…are you?"

"Who am I? I'm no one special, just a wandering Mage. Besides, don't you think its polite to introduce yourself first?"

'Well, I guess this is it. Either I roll over and die, or I live,' Natsu inwardly sighed, groaning as he managed to roll himself onto his back.

The moment he laid eyes upon the person in the compartment with him, he was met with what he assumed was a mirror of his own reaction.

"N-NATSU!?"

"Holy shit, is that you Juvia," Natsu blurted out, as the woman immediately moved him up onto the seat. "You look… different?"

"So do you," Juvia replied, still in shock as she sat across from him, giving Natsu a chance to really take in her appearance.

Juvia had retained her beautiful appearance, her hair now much longer as it flowed down her back. She wore a baggy winter coat, along with a pair of blue cargo pants and a pair of black boots.

"W-Well I mean, and no offense… Did you get older or something?"

"Huh? Well of course I did," Juvia replied, thankfully not getting offended as she could see Natsu was clearly confused. "It's been almost eight years since I last saw you go off to meet with Saint Warrod…"

"…Excuse me? Did you just say it's been eight years," Natsu asked slowly, prompting Juvia to nod her head. "What the Hell is going on…?"

"Listen," Juvia murmured, looked toward the compartment door. "When we get to the next station, we need to get you off this train without you being spotted."

"I'm guessing I'm still a wanted man then?"

"Unfortunately," Juvia nodded in reply, as Natsu tried to hold back his urge to vomit for the rest of the ride.

Eventually, the train finally pulled into a station, and Juvia pulled out a cloak from her bag, covering him with it as they silently exited the train. The pair silently made their way past security and managed to get into town, with the Water Mage leading him down several alleyways.

Once they were firmly off the streets, Juvia quickly checked around to make sure they were alone, before being enveloped in a nice, warm hug.

"Oh… What's this for?"

"It's so good to see you again Natsu," Juvia replied, as Natsu slowly reciprocated the hug.

"I'm guessing things haven't been good since I disappeared," Natsu asked, as Juvia released him, and the pair sat down on some nearby crates.

"You haven't got a clue how bad things in Fiore have gotten Natsu. It's been almost eight years since you were last sighted, and the Magic Council are desperate to find you."

"So, you're not messing with me? It's really been almost eight years?"

"Yes, it has. How do you not remember the last eight years," Juvia asked, as Natsu slowly began to piece together what happened.

"Ah, I think I know what's happened here," Natsu sighed, shaking his head. "So, I can clearly remember almost the entire first year I was gone. But for the rest of it, I was unconscious, borderline dead."

"You were dead!?"

"It's…It's a really long story Juvia," Natsu laughed, knowing full well how ridiculous it would sound if he tried to quickly explain it. "I'll explain it to you later. For now, how about you fill me in on what's been going on these last eight years?"

"Alright," Juvia sighed, her expression morphing into one of sadness, and a tinge of anger. "The state of Fiore is not good Natsu. After it was revealed that you were E.N.D, the entire country was divided on how to feel about you."

"Not really surprising."

"The Magic Council immediately called for your death, stripped you of your Wizard Saint status, and ordered all the Guilds, along with the Rune Knights, to begin a country wide manhunt for you. A manhunt that is technically still active, even today."

"Eight years on? Seriously?"

"The new Chairman is a horrible man by the name of Crawford Seam. He's done terrible things Natsu. He's tried to imprison people who speak out in your defense, and he's let Lahar, who he promoted to the High General of the Rune Knights, do whatever he wants."

"Well damn, this does sound rather grim…"

"There are those who support you, but their number dwindles every day. And that's not even the worst part…"

"It gets worse?"

"One of the Guilds hunting you… is Fairy Tail."

"What…? Wait, if that's true, then why aren't you trying to take me down?"

"Because I'm not a part of Fairy Tail anymore," Juvia replied quickly. "I left after what it had devolved into…"

"I'm having a hard time believing that gramps would stand for any of this, let alone the others-?"

"Master Makarov disappeared a few weeks after you did, and has since been presumed dead," Juvia replied, shocking Natsu to his core. "As for the others who stood up for you, they all vanished too. With Master Makarov missing, Mira, Erza, Elise, Laxus and the Thunder Legion, Wendy, Ur and Gildarts all missing, Fairy Tail was thrown into chaos."

"Holy shit… I can't believe things got this bad? So who is the Guild Master of Fairy Tail now?"

"You see, when the group returned from the Tartaros incident, Erza gave Gray a Lacrima from his Father. Gray ended up using that Lacrima, and it made him much stronger than before-."

"Are you telling me…that Gray is the new Guild Master, and that he's abusing his power?"

"There's something not right about him Natsu," Juvia whispered, tears welling at the corner of her eyes. "He's nothing like the man I fell in love with… Its like his heart is as cold as his Magic now…"

"Well, I suppose I know what I've got to do now, don't I," Natsu sighed, rising to his feet, with Juvia quickly doing the same.

"What do you mean!?"

"I'm going to head back to Magnolia and confront Gray," Natsu stated plainly, as Juvia looked at him like he was crazy.

"B-But you don't have your power, right? You told me that when we were on the train, that's why you've got your motion sickness back-!"

"Juvia! Even if I don't have my power, it doesn't matter. I've got to go and confront Gray, see what he's done to our home with my own eyes."

"Natsu…"

"If you think there's something wrong with Gray, then I need to help him. Even if he still hates me afterward, I'm still going to try."

"Well, if you're serious, we can head back to Magnolia soon," Juvia replied quietly, clearly unsure of how she should treat Natsu's declaration. "But before we can head back, I have to finish a job I accepted here. I'm an Independent Mage, so this is how I've been surviving day to day…"

"Well then, I guess I'll help you on this job too," Natsu smiled, taking her hand into his own. "Listen, I'm sorry things ended up like this for you Juvia. You've always been a kind person, and you don't deserve to have to deal with this kind of crap."

"Thank you," Juvia sniffed, squeezing Natsu's hand before wiping away her tears. "Goodness, I'm getting all emotional!"

"I think you've more than earned the right, haven't you?"

"Yes," Juvia giggled lightly. "I suppose I have, haven't I?"

"I assume you'll need me to stay out of sight for most of this job?"

"Yes. I'll go and meet the client, if you could just stay here and out of sight?"

"Fair enough. I'll wait here for you Juvia," Natsu agreed, as he placed the hood back on and moved to sit in the shadows, as Juvia left to go see the client.

***POTD***

Several hours later, Natsu was sitting in front of a fire, slightly amused at the fact he had to light it the old-fashioned way. As he pondered the irony of needing to do so, Juvia entered the camp.

"Well?"

"Though your Magic may be inaccessible to you, anyone who has ever actually felt it will know its you," Juvia replied, sitting down across from him. "It's rather strange though, since it feels muted, almost lifeless, compared to how it normally feels?"

"Makes sense. My power has been cut off, which means its just sitting there not doing anything. Normally, my power is always at my fingertips, ready to be used," Natsu replied quietly. "Still, there are both positives and negatives to being able to detect me…"

"I'd say the positives far outweigh the negatives," Juvia replied honestly. "We can use your return to stir up enough attention that it draws the others back?"

"Not a bad plan Juvia, but what if it draws in a Wizard Saint instead," Natsu joked, eliciting a light giggle from the Water Mage. "Not quite sure I'm able to tangle with one of them at the moment?"

"I suppose that's a minor risk," Juvia teased in reply. "Still, I think even if it is a concern, it's a necessary one. But that aside, I've got the details on that job."

"Oh yeah? What are the details?"

"Bandit camp elimination. Quite standard."

"Light work, even for me as I am now," Natsu smirked, with Juvia flicking her wrist, putting out the fire. "Let's go."

The pair took off toward the nearby bandit camp, Juvia taking point, as they arrived at a derelict lumber mill.

"The client wants the bandits dealt with but the mill intact. Apparently, these bandits moved in about a month ago after chasing off the workers and set up their base to raid caravans."

"So, what's the plan then," Natsu asked, as Juvia looked at him in clear confusion. "What?"

"You're asking me what the plan is? I would have thought you'd be the one to take charge?"

"Well this is your mission, isn't it?"

"Well yes, but-."

"Then why would you need to follow my plan? You've been doing fine on your own for years as an Independent Mage, right," Natsu asked, giving Juvia pause. "Sure, I could make a plan, but how would that benefit you?"

"Wow, you really do sound old," Juvia snickered, eliciting a curtly raised eyebrow in response. "That sounded like something Master Makarov would have said."

"Come on, I'm not THAT old! Anyway, what's your plan Juvia?"

"Here's my plan," the Water Mage replied, pointing above her as a sizeable black cloud began to form above them. "This should be a plan you won't have much trouble following…"

"You managed to gain control of the clouds your emotions generate?"

"Somewhat. I use them to strengthen myself when bodies of water aren't around," the Water Mage replied. "Watch this!"

Juvia shot out of the bushes and fired multiple high-pressure blasts of water from her hands, piercing through the bandits at the entrance to the lumber mill, killing them instantly.

"We're under attack," one of the bandits roared, as a dozen charged out of the lumber mill to attack Juvia.

"The bitch is alone; we can take her lads!"

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Juvia smirked, as the cloud above her fired multiple lightning strikes at the bandits, killing several more of their number. "You'll find no port in this storm!"

The bandits were shocked as Juvia began butchering their number, being forced out of the lumber mill and onto the main road where Natsu was waiting.

"Another one!?"

"Wait a sec boss," one of the bandits gasped, shakily raising his right hand. "It's him!"

"What are you blabbering about!? Who-!?"

The bandit boss' words died in his throat upon seeing Natsu standing there, wakizashi in hand as his cloak billowed in the wind.

"T-That's-!"

"DEMON!"

"It's him… THE DEMON KING E.N.D HAS RETURNED," the bandit boss cried, as Natsu slowly advanced toward them, a vicious smirk on his face.

"Grr! Come on men, we can take the Demon! It's just him and that bitch," the bandit boss cried, as the entire group charged toward Natsu's position.

Blocking out all the sound around him, Natsu slowly slid his left leg back, his hand over the grip of his wakizashi, as the bandits inched closer and closer. As the bandits raised their weapons to strike, Natsu struck, drawing his blade as he performed a single horizontal slash.

Exhaling, he looked upward to see all the bandits frozen in place, before their heads fell off their bodies. Juvia couldn't help but him in interest, marveling at Natsu's skill with a blade.

'My senses are still just as good as they've always been. Actual movement speed feels lower than I'm used to, but its to be expected. My strength is similarly down, but this might not be as much of a handicap as I thought…?'

"Wow Natsu, I didn't know you were so skilled with a blade?"

"Not many do. I told Erza, Elise and Gray that I'd been trained as a knight years ago, but I doubt they realized that meant I was trained with the blade? Still, its not really a skill I've needed to use until now, so I'm a bit rusty…"

"Rusty? You call that rusty?"

"To my standards, yes," Natsu chuckled, as they looked around the lumber mill. "No sign of any stragglers?"

"None. I suppose I should head into town and inform the client that the job is done," Juvia replied, as the pair started walking once again. "So, what's the plan once we hand this job in?"

"As much as I'd like to march onto Magnolia and find out what the Hell Gray has been doing, I need to play it smart," Natsu replied, as he looked up at the sky. "I think I need to find Jellal and speak with him? If anyone will have the intel I need, it'll be him?"

"Jellal? Well, I know where he's hiding out," Juvia replied easily. "He's set up his Guild Hall out of the ruins of Nirvana."

"Really?"

"Yes. He's become quite a busy person since he gained a bunch of new Guild Members," Juvia continued. "They've been busy wiping out Dark Guilds and striking at oppressive Rune Knight facilities across Fiore."

"Alright then Juvia, I'm counting on you to lead the way. Until I get my power back, I can't just save us the time and make a Gate to get us there in seconds…"

"Stuck hoofing it with the rest of us mere mortals? Oh, the humanity," Juvia joked, as the pair burst into a fit of laughter.

Internally, both of them were eager to get back to Magnolia. Natsu was determined to discover what had brought about such a radical shift in Gray. And as for Juvia…

Juvia just wanted her man back. The REAL Gray, not the monster that had taken his place.

And she'd do what she could to make that a reality…